Bullet proof glass or bullet resistant glass refers to any type of glass that is built to stand up against being penetrated by bullets. Although the public uses the term ‘bullet proof glass’, generally within the industry itself it is referred to as bullet-resistant glass, because there is no feasible way to create consumer-level glass that can truly be proof against bullets.

Bullet proof glass is usually constructed using a strong but transparent material such as polycarbonate thermoplastic or by using layers of laminated glass. The desired result is a material with an appearance and light-transmitting behavior of standard glass but offers varying degrees of protection from small arms fire.

The polycarbonate layer, usually consisting of products such as Armormax, Makroclear, Cyrolon, Lexan or Tuffak, is often sandwiched between layers of regular glass. The use of plastic in the laminate provides impact-resistance, such as physical assault with a hammer, an axe, etc. The plastic provides little in the way of bullet-resistance. The glass, which is much harder than plastic, flattens the bullet and thereby prevents penetration. This type of bullet proof glass is usually 70–75 mm (2.8–3.0 in) thick.

Bullet proof glass constructed of laminated glass layers is built from glass sheets bonded together with polyvinyl butyral, polyurethane or ethylene-vinyl acetate. This type of bullet proof glass has been in regular use on combat vehicles since World War II; it is typically about 100–120 mm (3.9–4.7 in) thick and is usually extremely heavy.

Working Principle of the Bullet Resistant Glass

In the bullet proof glass, the Laminate-layers of tough plastic called polycarbonate sandwiched in between the pieces of toughened glass make the glass ten times thicker than the ordinary glass and it is very heavy. If someone fires a bullet at an ordinary piece of glass, the glass can^t bend and absorb the energy. So the glass shatters and the bullet carries on through with hardly any loss of momentum. That^s why ordinary glass offers no protection against bullets.

But when a bullet strikes bullet proof glass, its energy spreads out sideways through the layers. Because the energy is divided between a number of different pieces of glass and plastic, and spread over a large area, it is quickly absorbed. The bullet slows down so much that it no longer has enough energy to pierce through—or to do much damage if it does so. Although the glass panes do break, the plastic layers stop them flying apart.

Advances in bullet resistant glass have led to the invention of one-way bullet resistant glass, such as used in some bank armored cars. This glass will resist incoming small arms fire striking the outside of the glass, but will allow those on the other side of the glass, such as guards firing from inside the armored car, to fire through the glass at the exterior threat.

One-way Bullet Proof Glass

One-way bullet proof glass is usually made up of two layers, a brittle layer on the outside and a flexible one on the inside. When a bullet is fired from the outside it hits the brittle layer first, shattering an area of it. This shattering absorbs some of the bullet^s kinetic energy, and spreads it on a larger area. When the slowed bullet hits the flexible layer, it is stopped. However, when a bullet is fired from the inside, it hits the flexible layer first. The bullet penetrates the flexible layer because its energy is focused on a smaller area; the brittle layer then shatters outward due to the flexing of the inner layer and does not hinder the bullet^s progress.

Advancement

The field of bullet proof glass is constantly developing, and there are a number of military projects underway to create lighter-weight, more defensive forms of bullet proof glass. One of the most promising is the use of aluminum oxynitride in the outer layer, in place of a polymer layer.

U.S. military researchers are moving quickly to develop this new class of transparent armour incorporating aluminium oxynitride (Trade name: ALON) as the outside "strike plate" layer. It performs much better than traditional glass/polymer laminates. Aluminium oxynitride "glass" can^t defeat threats like the .50 caliber armor piercing rounds using material that is not prohibitively heavy. This more resistant-glass that can be used in military assault vehicles and aircraft.

Applications

Bullet Resistant glasses have a wide range of applications as follows: